There probably aren’t many three-wheelers in Britain more instantly recognisable than this.
APL 911H is a 1969 Reliant Regal Supervan III dressed in the familiar yellow Trotters Independent Trading Co livery from Only Fools and Horses.
And unlike many of the Reliants associated with the programme over the years, this one has a particularly strong connection to the earliest episodes.
It is now heading to auction with Iconic Auctioneers at the NEC Classic Motor Show on Sunday 15 November 2026.
The estimate is £30,000 to £40,000.
And it is being offered with no reserve.
Several different Reliants were used during the long run of Only Fools and Horses.
That has always made identifying individual television-used vans slightly complicated.
The signwriting and registration plates could be transferred between vehicles when production required it, and over the years a number of vans have been described as “the” Only Fools and Horses Reliant.
APL 911H is more interesting than most.
The Reliant Motor Club archive identifies the registration as belonging to the van seen in the early episodes, with APL 911H appearing before the later and more familiar DHV 938D registration took over on screen.
Iconic Auctioneers says this particular van was used throughout the first two series and appeared in all 13 episodes broadcast across 1981 and 1982.
Its first appearance was in the opening episode, Big Brother.
One of the things that makes this van easier to trace is that APL 911H was not simply a fictitious television plate.
It was the Reliant’s genuine registration.
That registration can be seen on screen in The Russians Are Coming and also during the second series.
Period vehicle records identify APL 911H as a 1969 Reliant, and enthusiast archives have long associated the registration with the earliest Trotter van.
That gives this example a much clearer trail than some later screen-used vehicles, where identical liveries and swapped plates can make provenance harder to pin down.
For many viewers, one episode matters more than most.
A Touch of Glass aired in 1982 and gave us the now legendary scene involving Del Boy, Rodney, Grandad and a chandelier.
APL 911H is associated with that period of the programme and Iconic Auctioneers specifically highlights its appearance in that episode.
That places it firmly in the part of Only Fools and Horses history that established the series as one of Britain’s most loved sitcoms.
And that is probably why this particular Reliant is likely to attract attention from people who wouldn’t normally look twice at a three-wheeled van.
Before being purchased by its current owner in early 2026, the Reliant had spent time in a private collection and had undergone some light restoration.
Its latest owner, an Only Fools and Horses enthusiast, then set about returning some of the details to the way they appeared on television.
That included the grey-primer effect around the bonnet hatch, bumpers and wings, along with the red-painted door interiors.
The wonderfully restrained leopard-print interior remains one of its more memorable features.
There has also been some recent mechanical work.
According to Iconic Auctioneers, that has included a new old stock carburettor, replacement brake cylinders and battery, together with attention to the fuel system.
This is where the memorabilia starts to become almost as entertaining as the van itself.
The Reliant is being offered with a collection of Only Fools and Horses-related items.
Among them is a replica Harrison watch and a novelty cheque made payable to D Trotter and R Trotter for £6.2 million.
Fans will immediately understand the reference.
The cheque recalls the moment when Del and Rodney finally became millionaires after discovering the Harrison marine chronometer.
The replica watch is presented in a wooden box carrying Derek Trotter branding.
It is obviously not the original watch from the television series, but as a piece of memorabilia accompanying the van it suits the whole package perfectly.
This is worth stressing because the history of the Trotter Reliants is often oversimplified.
There was not one single yellow van used throughout the entire series.
Multiple Reliants were used during production, and later examples carried the now-famous DHV 938D registration.
Other television-used Trotter vans have appeared at auction before.
Iconic Auctioneers itself sold another 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan III associated with the programme for £36,000 in 2021, while another example sold for £29,250 in 2024.
APL 911H stands apart because of its association with those earliest episodes and because its genuine registration appeared on screen.
That makes it one of the easier early vans to identify and document.
Iconic Auctioneers has placed a £30,000 to £40,000 estimate on the van.
But perhaps the more interesting detail is that it is being offered without reserve.
That means there is no minimum price protecting it once the bidding begins.
Previous Only Fools and Horses Reliants have already shown that television provenance can turn an otherwise modest three-wheeler into a serious collector’s item.
Whether APL 911H’s stronger early-series history pushes it beyond the estimate will be fascinating to watch.
It certainly has the ingredients.
One of Britain’s best-known sitcoms.
An instantly recognisable vehicle.
A genuine early-series registration.
And enough leopard print to furnish a small nightclub.
APL 911H will be offered at Iconic Auctioneers’ Classic Sale during the NEC Classic Motor Show on Sunday 15 November 2026.
The auction estimate is £30,000 to £40,000 and the van is being sold with no reserve.
We suspect there will be no shortage of people stopping for a look before it crosses the block.
Even among a hall full of much faster, rarer and more valuable machinery, there are very few vehicles that can trigger recognition quite as quickly as a yellow Reliant van with Trotters Independent Trading painted down the side.
And that is probably the real appeal of this one.
APL 911H will be offered at Iconic Auctioneers’ Classic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show on Sunday 15 November 2026.
You can view the full auction listing, photographs and bidding details on the Iconic Auctioneers website here.
You don’t need to be a Reliant enthusiast to know exactly what you’re looking at.
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